Barrel breaking action for guns



. \w\ M w\ w mlv N UM April 29, 1958 I INVENTOR. BY Wi/flomfi 1 0x $75M {Mr A 'TTOR NE)- S? Q QNKN United States Patent BARREL BREAKING ACTION FOR GUNS William E. Fox, Dowagiac, Mich.

Application April 27, 1956, Serial No. 581,034

9 Claims. (Cl. 42-75) This invention relates to improvements in barrel breaking action for guns. The principal objects of the invention are:

First, to provide a mounting for breakably connecting a gun barrel to a breech and frame that does not require a latch or lock.

Second, to provide a spring pressed lock for holding a barrel in firing relation to a frame and breech which lock is reinforced by gas pressure during the firing of the gun so the pressure of the spring lock can be relatively light for ease in breaking the gun.

Third, to provide a single shot firearm with a breakable barrel that is very inexpensive to manufacture.

Fourth, to provide a pivotally mounted breakable barrel on a firearm with spring means for locking the barrel in firing position and for holding the barrel in fixed relation to the breech.

Fifth, to provide a recessed trigger on a gun that requires that the trigger be squeezed to fire the gun.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims. The drawings, of which there is one sheet, illustrate a highly practical form of a gun incorporating the barrel locking features of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal view through the gun in firing position.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 33 in Fig. 1.

The form of gun illustrated is a pistol but the invention is equally applicable to a rifle. The gun comprises generally a barrel 1, frame 2 and grip or butt 3. The hammer 4 and trigger 5 are mounted in a recess 6 in the frame on pivot pins 7 and 8 respectively. The butt 3 is secured to the frame by a screw 9.

More specifically, the rear end of the barrel 1 has a central locating projection 10 that fits into a breech recess 11 in the frame 2. The projection may consist of the rear end of a barrel liner as shown or it may be machined directly on the barrel 1. The bore 12 in the barrel or barrel liner is chambered to receive the shell 13 in the usual manner.

Forwardly from the breech 11, the frame 2 is provided with spaced side plates 14 that support the barrel mounting pin 15. The underside of the barrel has a depending tongue or flange 16 that fits between the side plates 14. An inverted L-shaped hole 17 in the flange 16 receives the pin 15. When the barrel is in firing position as illustrated in full lines the pin lies in the lower branch of the L-shaped hole. When the barrel is broken from the breech to the dotted position illustrated the tongue or flange 16 moves relative to the pin to position the pin in the dotted position illustrated in 15A in the upper rear branch of the L-shaped hole.

In order to prevent the gun from breaking while being 2,832,167 Patented Apr. 29, 1958 fired the forward end of the flange 16 has a horizontal hole 18 formed therethrough to the front edge of the L-shaped hole 17. The front end of the hole 18*18 closed by a screw plug 19 and a spring 20 urges a locking plunger 21 rearwardly in the hole. The plunger has a rounded end that bears against the upper side of the barrel pin 15 to keep the barrel and its flange from falling downwardly with respect to the barrel pin and permitting the gun to break. I

The front face of the frame 2 between the side plates 14 and below the breech is inclined forwardly and downwardly and a leaf spring 22 is pressed into the recess above the inclined face with its upper curved end 23 bearing against the underside of the barrel. This urges the locating projection 10 on the barrel up against the top of the breech recess 11 and prevents rattling of the barrel.

The ease with which the barrel may be broken open on the frame is of course dependent on the stiffness of the spring 20. While a spring of suflicient strength to prevent the gun from blowing open could be used, it would make the gun diflicult to break for loading. In order to permit the use of a lighter spring, a passage is formed between the bore 12 and the hole 18 behind the plunger 21 so'that gas pressure in the bore forces the plunger tightly into locking engagement with the barrel pin 15 while the gun is being fired. In the example illustrated the gas passage is formed by a hole 24 in the barrel liner just ahead of the shell chamber and a hole 25 in the barrel proper opening to the hole 18. The holes 24 and 25 are connected by a slot 26 cut in the inside of the outer barrel and sealed ofi by the barrel liner.

The hammer 4 has nose 27 that strikes the rim of the shell through a small hole in the breech as is common practice. Within the frame the hammer has a halfcock safety notch 28 and a cocking ear as that selectively engage the inner end 30 of the trigger. The main spring 31 of the hammer bears between a shoulder 32 on the hammer and a pocket 33 in the frame.

The trigger guard 34 on the frame is open at the front and slotted at 35 to receive the trigger 5. Desirably the front edge of the trigger projects only slightly forwardly of the guard in the cocked position of the trigger so it is necessary for the marksman to actually squeeze the trigger as distignuished from pulling a fully projecting trigger to fire the gun. 'That is, the trigger finger is pressed against the guard 34 and the pressure exerted in the flesh of the finger depresses the trigger into the slot 35 before the hammer is released. This assures better marksmanship with the gun.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed to be new and what is desired to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A single shot gun having a frame with a breech recess in its front face and a trigger and hammer mounted in coacting relation to the recess, laterally spaced forwardly projectingside plates on the front of said frame with a forwardly and downwardly inclined surface between the plates below said recess, a barrel mounting pin extending between said plates forwardly of said surface and said breech, a barrel with a barrel liner formingthe bore of the gun, said barrel having a flange on its underside received between said plates, the rear of said barrel having a locating projection receivable in said breech recess, said flange having an upwardly and rearwardly angled opening formed therein and, adjustably receiving said pin, said flange forming a horizontal hole opening to the front of said opening and above the bottom thereof, around nose plunger positioned in said I hole and bearing against the upper front side of said pin,

against the top of said recess, and means forming a pas sage from the bore at a point ahead of the shell therein to said hole at a point forwardly, of said plunger, said means-comprising longitudinally off-set radial bores formed in said liner and said barrel and a slot formed in the inside of the barrel and sealed off by said liner.

2. A single shot gun having a frame with a breech recess in its front face and a trigger and hammer mounted in coacting relation to the recess, laterally spaced for wardly projecting side plates on the front of said frame, apbarrel mounting pin extending between said plates forwardly of said breech, a barrel with a barrel liner forming the bore of the gun, said barrel having a flange on its underside received between said plates, the rear of said barrel having a locating projection receivable in said breech recess, said flange having an upwardly and rearwardly angled opening formed therein and adjustably receiving said pin, said flange forming a horizontal hole opening to the front of said opening and above the bottom thereof, a plunger positioned in saidhole and bearing against the upper front side of said pin, a spring in said hole urging said plunger against said pin, and means forming a passage from the bore at a point ahead of the shell therein tosaid hole at a point forwardly of said plunger, said means comprising longitudinally off-set radial bores formed in said liner and said barrel and a slot formed in the inside of the barrel and sealed off by said liner.

3. A gun having a frame with a, breech recess in its front face and a trigger and hammer mounted in coacting relation to the recess, laterally spaced forwardly projecting side plates on the front of said frame with a forwardly projecting surface between the plates below said recess, a barrel mounting pin extending between said plates forwardly of said surface and said breech, a barrel forming the bore of the gun, said barrel having a flange on its underside received between said plates, the rear of said barrel having a locating projection receivable in said breech recess, said flange having an upwardly and rearwardly angled opening formed therein and adjustably receiving said pin, said flange forming a hole opening to the front of said opening and above the bottom thereof, a plunger positioned in said hole and cammingly engaging the upper front side of said pin, a spring in said hole urging said plunger against said pin, a leaf spring clamped to said surface and bearing against the bottom of said barrel to urge said projection against the top of said recess, and means forming a passage from the bore at a point ahead of the shell therein to said hole at a point forwardly of said plunger.

4. A gun having a frame with a breech 'recess in its front face and a trigger and hammer mounted in coacting relation to the recess, laterally spaced forwardly projecting side plates on the front of said frame with a forwardly projecting surface between the plates below said recess, a barrel mounting pin extending between'said plates forwardly of said surface and said breech, a barrel forming the bore of the gun, said barrel having a flange on its underside received between said plates, the rear of said barrel having a locating projection receivable in said breech recess, said flange having an upwardly and rearwardly angled opening formed therein and adjustably receiving said pin, said flange forming a hole opening to the front of said opening and above the bottom thereof, a plunger positioned in said hole and cammingly engaging the upper front side of said pin, a spring in said hole urging said plunger against said pin, a leaf spring bearing between said surface and the bottom of said barrel to urge said projection against the top of said recess, and means forming a passage from the bore at a point ahead off the shell therein to said hole at a point forwardly of said plunger.

5. A gun having a frame with a breech recess in its front face and a trigger and hammer mounted in coacting relation to the recess, laterally spaced forwardly projecting side plates on the front of said frame, a barrel mounting pin extending between said plates forwardly of said breech, a barrel with a barrel liner forming the bore of the gun, said barrel having a flange on its underside received between said plates, the rear of said barrel having a locating projection receivable in said breech recess,

said flange having an upwardly, andrearwardly angled opening formed therein and'adjustably receiving said pin, said flange forming a hole opening to said opening and above the lower most portion thereof, a plunger positioned in said hole and camrningly engaging the upper portion of said pin, a spring in said hole urging said plunger against said pin, and means forming a passage from the bore at a point ahead of the shell therein to said hole at a point at the opposite end of saidplunger from said pin, said means comprising longitudinally off-set radial bores formed in said liner and said barrel and a slot formed in the inside of the barrel and sealed olf by said liner.

front face and a trigger and hammer mounted in coacting relation to the recess, laterally spaced forwardly projecting side plates on the front of said frame, a barrel ing an upwardly and rearwardly angled opening'formedtherein and adjustably receiving said pin, said flange forming a hole opening to said opening and'above the lower most portion thereof, a plunger positioned in said hole and cammingly engaging the upper portion of'said pin, a spring in said hole urging said plunger againstsaid pin, and means forming a passage from the bore at a point ahead of the shell therein to said hole at a point at the opposite end of said plunger from said pin.

7. In a single shot gun having a frame with a breech recess in the forward face thereof, a barrel pivotally connected to said frame in front of and below said recess,said barrel having a bore therein with a projec tion around its rear end receivable in said recess,m'eans permitting downward and forward movement of the :pivotal connection between the barrel and the frame relative to the frame, a spring pressed detent carried by.

said barrel, and biased into engagement with part of said pivotal connection to resist downward and forward mo tion thereof, and means forming a gas passage in said nection between the barrel and the frame relative to.

the frame, a spring pressed detent carried by said barrel and biased into engagement with part of said pivotal connection to resist downward and forward motion thereof, and means forming a gas passage in said barrel from I the bore of the barrel to the face of said detent opposite the pivot engaging portion thereof whereby gas pressure in the barrel will assist the detent in locking said pivotal connection against movement as the gun is fired.

9. In a gun having a frame with a breech portion on the forward face thereof, a barrel pivotally connected to said frame in front of and below said breech portion, said barrel having a bore therein with a chamber 6. A gun having a frame with a breech recess in its portion at its rear end laterally lockingly engageable with said breech portion, means permitting downward and forward movement of the pivotal connection between the barrel and the frame relative to the frame, a spring pressed detent carried by said barrel and biased into engagement with part of said pivotal connection to resist downward and forward motion thereof, and means forming a gas passage in said barrel from the 'bore of the barrel to the face of said detent opposite the pivot engaging portion thereof whereby gas pressure in the barrel No references cited. 

